Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol

What kind of bean do you pile high on your tacos and burritos? For better cholesterol, try the mighty pinto bean—one of the top foods high in fiber.

In a study, people who consumed half a cup of pinto beans every day lowered their total cholesterol by a whopping 8% in just 12 weeks. Talk about natural ways to lower cholesterol!

Power to the Pinto As one of the best foods high in fiber, pinto beans are known to help control cholesterol. How? By causing the body's small intestine to produce more of a compound that helps keep cholesterol in check. And with 8 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, almost no fat, and only 120 calories per half cup, what's not to love about pinto beans? Try this advice from the YOU Docs.)

Beans and Blood Fats Changes in the gastrointestinal environment were only part of the reason pinto beans served as natural ways to lower cholesterol in the study. Researchers also think the nutrients in beans help -- antioxidant nutrients like flavonoids, which are natural plant compounds that help defend against disease. Ready to serve up some tasty pintos? Try one of these serving ideas:

Although blood cholesterol helps digest food and make hormones, too much of it can harden your arteries and cause heart disease. Also known as hypercholesterolemia, high blood cholesterol can accumulate along the walls of your arteries, the main supplier of oxygen from the heart to other parts of your body.